Arthur wilzest



A. WILZIN.

POOKET KNIFE.

Patented Apr. 9

UNITED STATES P TENT @FFICE.

ARTHUR VILZIN, OF HEV YORK, N. Y.

POCKET-KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent NO. 401,093, dated. April 9, 1889.

Application filed August 21, 1888. Serial N0.-283,358. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern;

I Be it known that l, ARTHUR ILZIN, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Pocket-Knife, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to pocket-knives, and has for 1ts object to provide a pocket-knife by means of which the blades may be moved into position to be seized by the fingers, thereby permitting them to be readily opened and avoiding breaking of the finger-nails. Pocketknives attaining this object more or less perfectly have heretofore been constructed. In most of these constructions, however, the ordlnary knife-spring has been abandoned and separate springs or other devices substituted for actuating the blade, while in still other constructions, where the knife-spring in back of the blade has been preserved for operating the blade, it has been so modified in shape or action as to require a separate device for looking the blade in its open position. These knlves have consequently become so complicated and so different in general appearance from ordinary pocket-knives that they have failed to find favor with the general public.

In my invention the general appearance of the knives and the form and action of the knife-spring are so very nearly analogous to those of ordinary pocket-knives that these objections are removed.

The invention consists in a pocketknife constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, 111 which similar figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

. Figure 1 is a side View of a knife constructed in accordance with this invention, with one side removed, and showing one blade thrown partly open in position to be entirely opened and the other closed. Fig. 2 is a view of the back of the knife partly broken away, with blades closed. Fig. 3 is a side view thereof partly broken away. Fig. 4c is a side view with one of the sides removed and one blade fully open and the other fully closed. Fig. 5 is a back view thereof partly broken away.

Fig. 6 is a modification in side view partly broken away and ivory or bone covering removed, and Fig. 7 is a front view thereof with parts in longitudinal section.

In the construction of this invention the knife in its general features is made similarly to the ordinary pocket-knife. The pivotal portion 1, however, of the blade 2 is formed with a projection, 3, and a receding part, 4, adjacent thereto andterminating in a point or heel, 5. The relative position of the rounded part and the point or heel 5 to the pivotal point 6 of the blade is such that the part 3 and the heel 5 will bear against the bladespring 7 in the back of the knife, and the blade be held partly open, as shown in Fig. 1. NVith this construction, when the blade .2 is pressed into the handle and is in the closed position shown in Fig. 1, the rounded part 3 presses the spring 7 slightly outward. To hold the blade in this closed position, a look.- ing device isprovided which at the same time keeps the pivotal portion of the blade in rear of its pivotal point normally out of contact with the knife-spring. One form of locking device is shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, consisting of a pin, 8, mounted on a spring-arm, 9, secured to the plate 10, forming the side of the knife-handle and movable in a recess, 11, in the bone or ivory covering 12 of the handle. To the outer end of the spring-arm 9 is secured the metallic tip 13, projecting slightly out beyond the end of the handle and extending over the top of the recess 11. The pin 8 projects through an opening, 8', in the plate 10. The pin 8, extending between the receding part dand the spring 7, is clamped there by and holds the blade 2 closed in the handle.

To open the blade, the pin 8 is moved out laterally from the receding part etbypressing back the tip or projection 13. The pin 8 being moved awayfrom the receding part 4, the tension of spring 7, bearing against the rounded part 3, causes the blade to be thrown partly open and the heel 5 to be brought against the spring 7 as shown in Fig. 1. The blade 2 may then be seized with the fingers and pulled to fully-opened position, as shown in Fig. 4. In this position the pin 8 rests against the side of the pivotal portion of the be moved back and forth by the fingers.

blade. Upon the blade being closed the pin 8 will spring in between the receding part 4 and spring 7 by the action of the spring-arm ti. ltis obvious thata laterally-1novable arm may be employed instead'ot spring-arm 9, and A spring-arm is, however, preferably employed. The tension of the spring-arm may be such as to snap out of instead of into position, as heretofore described, in which case it simply necessary to press in the blade to release the locking device.

In the modification shown in Figs. (5 and 7 the locking device consists of a springarm, ll, secured at one end to the plate 10, and located in a recess, 15, in the bone or ivory of the handle. The upper part of the arm 14- is bent imvard, extends through a slot, 16, in the plate 10, and upward adjacent to the plate ltlbetween the knife-spring 7 and the pivotal portion of blade l 7, and terminates i n a projection, 15 at the end of the handle. The pivotal portion oi. the blade in this case is formed with a projection, 23, which beans against the sprii'ig '7 and an elongated receding portion, 19, terminating in a heel,i0, therelative position of the parts being such, as in the case hereinbei'ore set forth, as to hold the blade in closed position with outer end ot'arm ll clamped between spring 7 and receding portion 19, and by pushing back on the projection .18 releasing arm 14-, when the blade 17 will be thrown by spring '7 to partly-open position, all shown in Fig. 6. The blade may be then pulled entirely open, as in the first case. By means of this invention the blades of pocket-knives may be readily opened without using the linger-nails, thereby permitting pocket-kniv es to be used by ladies and others having thin or pointed and dressed fingernails, and avoiding breaking the linger-nails. \Vhile I have set forth a specific construction oi. parts, I do not intend to limit myself thereto, as they may be varied without departing from the essential features of the invention.

Having thus described my inv(mtion,what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A pocket-knife comprising a handle having the ordinary back-spring, a blade normall y held partially projected or open by said spring, and having the usual shouldered heel to engage the spring when the blade fully opened and be locked therel.)y, and a lock or catch to engage the blade when fully closed, substantially as set forth.

2. The combii'iation, with the kiiiife-hai'idle and the ordinary back-sprin g held therein, ot' a blade having a projection on the inner edge of its pivotal portion in front of the pivot and bearing against the said spring when the blade is closed, and a lock or catch to hold the blade fully closed, as set forth.

3. A pocket-knife constructed with a blade having its pivotal portion formed with a pro jection bearing against the lIlll'fG-Slllll'lg, in combination with a spring-actuated locking device mounted on the knife-handle and extending between and clamped by the knife spring and the butt of the pivotal portion of the blade, substantially as shown and described.

4. A pocket-knife constructed with a blade having its pivotal. portion formed with aproject-ion bearing against the knifc-spring, in ctm'ibination with. a locking device mounted on the knifc-l'iandlc and extending between and clamped by the knife-spring and thebutt of the pivotal. portion of the blade, substantially as shown and described.

5. A pocket-knife constructed with blade 2, having its pivotal portion 1 formed with a projection, 3, bearing against knife-spring 7, a receding part, -1, adjacent thereto, with a heel, 5, in combination with spring-arm 9, laterally movable in a recess, 1.], in the knifehandle, having at its outer end thetip l3, and a pin, 8, extending through opening 8 in the plate '10, and between knife-spring? and receding part a oi the pivotal portion l of knifeblade, substantially as shown and described.

ARTHUR '\\"'lLZlN.

\Vitncsses:

EDWARD \V. Cam, (I. Sn'ntnviitat. 

